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Recently Maharashtra held Elections for Local Self Government, Results are out. Article is about Analysis of Post election Political Parties situation. Strategies, issues, campaign policies used by Various parties are also elaborated.

Growth of BJP in Odisha and what it means to the National Politics March 9, 2017

The recently concluded Odisha elections have come as a surprise even for many political pundits. In what was expected to be an easy sailing for the Biju Janta Dal has turned out to be the toughest fight for them since the time they came to power.

From being close aids of politicians to becoming successful politicians themselves... October 17, 2016

Lalkrishna Advani, Dilip Valse Patil, Ram Kadam, Amit Satam were P.As of prominent leaders prior to becoming Politicians. You might have been surprised by the names.So, what is the role of P.A. in politics? Is he/she playing a crucial role in the politics and the growth of politician? These are some of the questions in the minds of people.

Massive Maratha Rallies and the victory of Democracy!!! - October 4, 2016

The mammoth congregations of the Maratha Community which have been happening at every district centre since the unfortunate and ghastly rape incident at Kopardi (district Nagar, Maharashtra) took place, have stirred the politics across the entire state. The outrage however is not limited to the rape incident alone and spans various issues like the economic deprivation of the Maratha community, the plight of the farmers – majority of whom are the Marathas, misuse of Atrocity Act which has hurt them and their long standing demand for reservation.

After its success in Punjab during the 2014 Lok Sabha followed by the huge mandate it received in Delhi, news in power corridors was that Aam Aadmi Party will comfortably win the upcoming 2017 Legislative Assembly Elections scheduled in Punjab. A double anti incumbency for the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP combine coupled with lack of local leadership in INC made it appear like a perfect scenario for AAP to make its maiden entry into the state.

The Killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Terrorist Burhan Wani last week has triggered a spate of similar reactions from Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Officials, Non State Actors in Jammu & Kashmir and Communist sympathizers across India. Ruckus created at funerals of such non state actors at every such instance is a regular affair. Reports suggest that Pakistan flags and Anti India slogans were raised during his funeral procession.

The five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has unanimously ordered restoration of Congress government in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. In an unprecedented verdict, the Constitution Bench has nullified all the decisions of the Governor that had led to imposition of the President’s Rule in the state. The bench has termed Governor’s actions as “illegal” and violative of the Constitutional provisions.

Abu Sayyaf Terrorists and what Phillipines can learn from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - June 29, 2016

For a start The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is the most violent of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the southern Philippines and claims to promote an independent Islamic state. Split from the Moro National Liberation Front in the early 1990s, the group currently engages in kidnappings for ransom, bombings, assassinations, and extortion. The ASG operates mainly in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi Provinces in the Sulu Archipelago and has a presence on Mindanao. Members also occasionally travel to Manila.

GST is believed to be the most comprehensive tax Reform in our country since 1947 and is believed to be a game changer for India and our Make in India initiative. The Latest round of nomination and election to Rajya Sabha has made the balance of numbers tilt in NDA’s favour albeit very slightly. The BJP’s numbers have finally crossed the 50 mark and now stand at 55. Congress has 60 members but the gap between the 2 has now been reduced from 15 during last Budget to just 5 now. More importantly NDA together accounts for 74 MP’s whereas UPA has been reduced to 71.

Recently the U.S. President Barack Obama supported India’s attempt to join the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as well as Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The MTCR was established in April 1987 with the objective of slowing the spread of missiles and other technology which can be used in biological or nuclear attacks. The group has 34 member countries at present. By becoming a member of MTCR, India is hoping to receive technology which can be used in the counter-terrorism activities.

A Law against Social Boycott: Maharashtra Paves the Way - June 9, 2016

Maharashtra became the first state in the country to enact a law against social boycott of individuals or families with passing of the Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2016. The Act was passed unanimously by the legislature in Maharashtra which is in lieu with the long tradition of social reform for which Maharashtra is famous. The Act can prove an important step in containing the power of caste panchayats that try to regulate the behavior of individuals.

The recent Legislative Assembly elections in four states, viz., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam and the union territory of Puducherry confirmed the trend of declining influence of the Congress party in national politics. In this round of elections, Congress lost power in Assam and Kerala (with allies) and its alliance with the CPM in West Bangal resulted in further erosion of the influence of the Left in that state.

Recent threats and intimidation of journalists in Chhattisgarh is a matter of concern. There have been many instances of clashes in Bastar, an area dominated by Naxalites, between the security forces and the Maoists. The journalists are caught in the middle with both the parties attacking them. There are many incidences of attack on journalists in the past few years. At present, three journalists are in jail on the charges of extortion and many have been threatened and intimidated.

How did a party which had hardly any presence in the state till the end of the 1980s come so far?
Fifteen years ago, senior BJP leader and then Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani flew down to Guwahati, the capital of Assam, to stitch an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) before the Assembly polls. After protracted negotiations, in a take-it-or-leave-it deal, the AGP allotted 46 seats to the BJP to contest in the 126-member House. Advani who termed the AGP the “elder brother” in the alliance, had to rest content with the AGP’s offer even though his party had wanted to contest at least 60 seats.

The exit polls of the assembly elections in 4 states and 1 union territory projects a continuity in post-2014 political equilibrium at the national politics. The projected outcome, except in Tamil Nadu, are well in accordance with the trends of 2014 Lok Sabha election. While Congress is set to lose another state – Assam – to BJP, it may find a solace in the victory of DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu.

As India is progressing to be a global superpower. It needs leaders who are dynamic, proactive, capable and knowledgeable to handle the utmost challenges of Politics. All other professions have dedicated graduate and post graduate programs like Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacy, Management, Law etc. to have educated & skilled professionals in these respective fields. Then why not in Politics, which in fact is more crucial as it concerns the wellbeing of a nation and its populace at large. Thus, we have professional programs to address the challenges of other sectors but none for those who envision to enter into politics in a professional way.

State Government has recently took a revolutionary decision on Municipal Corporation elections to be conducted in 2017. For municipal corporations, two panels, each comprising two wards, would be clubbed into a single panel of four wards.
This will enable political parties to field four candidates from a single panel, as opposed to two candidates per panel earlier. This way, the entire voting population of a panel will be able to vote for candidates of the four wards that comprise the panel.Except Mumbai Corporation above decision is applicable for remaining cities.

The passage of this Bill will establish an entrepreneur- friendly legal bankruptcy framework for speedy resolution of insolvencies for companies.
The bill was necessitated as banks are yet to recover 8 lakh crore in troubled loans from Corporate defaulters. The Bill will help them recover the money. It is a big step in the Prime Ministers efforts of improving ease of doing business in his efforts to achieve Good Governance. Lenders can recover outstanding debts by setting a deadline of 180 days for companies failing which banks can liquidate their assets.

The severe drought and water scarcity in various parts of Maharashtra has brought the issue of mismanagement of water resources to the fore once again. In the last fifty years, there has been ample discussion on various forums about the possible measures to deal with the issue of water scarcity in Maharashtra. The Government of Maharashtra constituted many committees and two commissions (Maharashtra State Irrigation Commission in 1962 and Chitale Commission in 1999) to solve the problem of drought and inadequate irrigation

Passing of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill and what it holds for India - May 6, 2016

Major gains:

The funds for afforestation which were lying unused for past 12-13 years amounting to Rs. 41,000 crore would be unlocked strictly for afforestation

As per the earlier provision 10% funds would go to the state and 90% would go to the Centre. This scenario would be completely reversed and now 90% funds would go to the state kitty whereas only 10% will go to the Centre’s kitty. Further this 10% will also benefit the states indirectly. So this provision is also a leg up for India’s efforts at larger decentralization under the Modi regime.

The recent incidence at the National Institute of Technology at Srinagar, in which the issue of support to Indian cricket team resulted in a crisis situation, demonstrated the deep-rooted nature of the problem in Jammu and Kashmir. A careful look at the history of Jammu and Kashmir in the post-independent India suggests two things. One, the journey of Jammu and Kashmir so far is full of paradoxes and complexities and therefore, any simplistic solution will never work. Second, the process of dialogue and discussion with people and groups in Jammu and Kashmir is of vital importance for any solution to have even limited success.

Maharashtra government has launched the project "Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan" in 2015 a bid to make Maharashtra a drought-free state by 2019. The programme aims to make 5000 villages free of water scarcity every year. Under the programme, micro-irrigation systems would be encouraged for proficient use of water, hence increasing the irrigated area. Government will be initially allocating Rs1, 000 crore for the scheme.

* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institute. The reader should make his or her own evaluation of the accuracy and appropriateness of the content.